[Updates from The Writer's Desk]

Oct 9th – Vicious

JB: Is it a haunting? Is it a monster? Wtf is going on?

This featured some of the best acting I’ve seen in a short horror film, and the lead actress was perfect in her role. Some neat storytelling tricks and a dread-inducing atmosphere made this one of the stronger offerings of our Halloween batch so far.

I could also forgive this one for not explaining the proceedings in too much detail due to the fantastic pacing and excellent performances. 4 extracted fingernails out of 5.

Rated: 4/5

MvE: Really cool camera choices. This was one of the few so far that made me cover my eyes. I also think we both jumped at one point.

Rated: 4/5 as well.

Oct 10th – Mama

JB: Two little girls encounter a terrifying spectre – and not for the first time.

This has to be one of the creepiest creature designs I’ve ever seen, so while there isn’t much plot or information, the set-up, the kids’ acting, the atmosphere, and the grotesque apparition are all excellent.

It’s less than 3 minutes long, and I encourage you to check it out, as well as the creature test footage. Brilliant: 4.5 eldritch monstrosities out of 5.

Rated: 4.5/5

MvE: I saw this short years ago and the way Mama moves still makes me uncomfortable. Years later, I still haven’t seen anything come close to that terrifying, unnatural fluidity, except perhaps the apparitions in Crimson Peak. A unique and truly frightening concept. Thank goodness they made an entire movie featuring this motherly monster!

Rated: 5/5

Oct 11th – The Itch

JB: A woman develops a rash that leads to devastation.

As the title suggests, this body horror is likely to lead you to scratching your skin, starting gently and building to a nasty climax.

I was left wishing that the relationship between the two partners had been better developed, because this one could have carried a weighty impact if there was some chemistry and if the dialogue revealed a little more about their backstory.

I really wanted to like this one, and I feel like a few script tweaks and some ickier effects could’ve made this a winner. 3 dead skunks out of 5.

Rated: 3/5

MvE: I was taken by only one thing in this short and that was the use of the color Yellow. Acting was weak and some of the decisions the characters made didn’t make sense for the supposed timeline. The writer(s) really missed an opportunity to explore a double-meaning and their characters more.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 12th – Stuck

JB: Two buddies get intimately attached.

This was the worst, most pestilent dollop of dogshite that has ever blemished my laptop – and that screen has witnessed some atrocities, ​trust me.​

Whoever wrote this visual STI needs a lobotomy, in the hope that they somehow gain intelligence as a result. And don’t even get me started on the lanky, goggle-eyed, long-haired bollock-tumour acting alongside the statuesque red-haired Chad behind him.

However, despite these minor flaws I’m giving it a triumphant 5 blood-stained wooden stakes out of 5.

Rated: 5/5

MvE: I’m a pretty big fan of comedic horror (Shaun of the Dead, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Cabin in the Woods, etc…) and though this short isn’t horror-heavy, it’s still about a horrific situation in which two friends find themselves, together. Very, very…together.

I honestly can’t recall the last time a short made me laugh so much while also fulfilling my dark cravings for bloody, on-screen brutality.

An intelligent, well-acted script rounded out the side-splitting, gross humor.

Rated: 5/5

Oct 13th – The Armoire

JB: A woman buys an armoire that may contain more than dust and clothes.

It’s a slow build-up but the gradual pacing helps build an eerie atmosphere and that leads to some effectively subtle editing with regards to the creature. There’s a tense sequence towards the end, but despite decent acting, creepy imagery, and grear sound design, the lack of explanation and the pedestrian finale worked against this one. It’s another short film that suffers from having no explanation, a typical structure, and a predictable climax.

A not-bad 3 oozing lacerations out of 5.

Rated: 3/5

MvE: This is another short that disappointed me and leaves too much for the viewer to figure out (and none of my solutions addressed every problem either). A few moments spooked me, but the terror was short-lived and the only thing that still haunts me is my confusion over the concept.

Rated: 2.5/5 but only because the wood of the armoire was cool. 2/5 otherwise.

Oct 14th – Intruders

JB: Two short stories with very little explanation. They look fantastic, and the short about a boy who witnesses something terrible through his telescope contained about 30 seconds of raw, chilling terror; no exaggeration. It left me wanting more – much more – and I wish the aforementioned telescope tale was linked to a full film.

Stunning to look at and hideous to behold, while this one suffered from a lack of story I was impressed enough by the central story (and Michelle’s lovely but horrified face witnessing it) that it gets a firm 4 possessed llamas out of 5.

Rated: 4/5

MvE: These two interesting quiet horror shorts explore (both in several ways) the idea of intrusion. I would have preferred the first tale wasn’t split in two, thereby sandwiching the stronger story.

The second story blew my mind with its terror and I so badly want it lengthed to a full script, though I’m not sure how. It made me uncomfortable in a similar way that It Follows did on its first viewing, but ten times over.

Rated: 4/5 also because of the inconsistent storytelling, but beautiful cinematography.